Wednesday, January 13, 2010

It's a new year and another get together of the Cooking Light Virtual Supper Club. This idea started last July when 5 bloggers (3 from the U.S. and 2 from Canada) meet virtually once a month to share a themed meal all from Cooking Light recipes. January's theme is perfect for this time of year: Soups and Stews.

There is nothing more satisfying than a hot bowl of soup or a hearty stew. Especially, in the winter time. Even in Northwest Florida, where I live, we have had freezing temperatures for a couple of weeks straight. The whole State of Florida has been colder than normal. So, no matter where you live, here is a great meal to help you feel a little warmer.

This chili uses hot italian turkey sausage. This is such a wonderful lower fat substitution for pork sausage. My entire family loved, loved, loved this chili. It was such a quick weekday meal to put together. It was very flavorful and had a nice spiciness to it but not too spicy. As my family says.....it's a keeper!

Side Note: I did make some minor changes to this recipe. The recipe calls for 2 cans of stewed tomatoes. I used one 14.5 oz. can of Petite Diced tomatoes and one 14.5 can of Fire Roasted Diced tomatoes. I pureed the one can of Fire Roasted tomatoes. I did this because that is what I had in my pantry and my husband and daughters would prefer it with less chunky tomatoes. I was really happy with these changes and the results.

The other 4 ladies also made some wonderful dishes. Check out each recipe on their blogs for more details on what they "brought" to our Virtual Supper Club.

Along with my chili, I made this cornbread in my cast iron skillet. This is my "go-to" cornbread because it's only 5 ingredients, super quick to make and it's very good. This is a recipe from Southern Living.

Stayed tuned next month when the Cooking Light Virtual Supper Club presents Healthy Italian. And check out the Virtual Supper Club on Cooking Light's Blog, Test Kitchen Secrets.

Mom's Cooking Club Lesson: I used Jennie-O's Hot Turkey Italian Sausage for this chili. Click on the link for detailed nutrition information. Also, don't forget to remove the sausage from the casing before browning the meat.

I'm with you on the chunks/lumps of tomatoes. My family will NOT eat them, so I buy the crushed or pureed canned tomatoes. It's pretty cold here in Boston - lots of snow on the ground - so your chili would definitely hit the spot right now.Hey, check out my blog tomorrow night. We're offering a fabulous Cuisinart/Covered Casserole giveaway and a new "Piping Hot Peanut Butter Soup" recipe (to celebrate National Soup Month)!

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Hi and welcome to Mom's Cooking Club! This is my small place where I like to share recipes, ideas and tips. I am not a gourmet cook. I'm just a home cook who loves to make simple, easy & delicious meals for my family. I'm always trying new recipes to add variety and keep everyone's tastebuds happy. In the process, I'm teaching my twin teenage daughters the basics of cooking & to have fun in the kitchen. So, thanks for visiting and welcome to the club!